Since the 1990s, when large vehicles started to access the builders' merchant's yard in Sandfield Road on a regular basis, we and others have been trying to find a way of mitigating the consequences. The black-and-white Listed Building, 28a-d Gateacre Brow - a local landmark for 100 years - began to suffer damage as drivers unfamiliar with the area failed to allow for the overhang.

Some changes were made, e.g. in 2004 we reported that Travis Perkins had banned the use of articulated vehicles and the City Council had widened the pavement alongside the Listed Building so that the kerb was now in line with the projecting first floor. Nevertheless, the problems continued, the bollards on the two corners were regularly uprooted, the Chapel wall was scored and - despite the installation of CCTV cameras and metal 'chimes' - the decorative plaster features of the building kept getting hit.

Now the Listed Building has new owners (see our July 2017 Newsletter) who are in the process of converting it to 5 apartments. Two separate incidents have resulted in further damage, and not surprisingly Messrs Winter & Melia are keen to find a permanent solution. Signage has been suggested in the past by us, but rejected. (The sign in the picture was spotted in Ilfracombe, Devon, where a similar situation exists). The new 20mph sign on the Chapel corner has, if anything, made things worse, by encouraging drivers to steer away from it. A site meeting between the interested parties has been arranged, and we hope to have some progress to report before too long.